The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday.
The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter.
The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said.
Photo: Fang Bin-chao, Taipei Times
The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion (US $1.28 billion), that Taiwan purchased from the US under a deal approved by Washington in 2019.
The first batch of 38 Abrams tanks was delivered to Taiwan in December 2024 and was later commissioned into the army’s 584th Armored Brigade in Hsinchu County in late October last year after the required training and testing were completed.
The second batch of 42 M1A2T Abrams tanks was delivered in July, and testing and training are ongoing ahead of their planned commissioning in the second quarter of this year, the source said.
The army operates about 1,000 tanks, including CM11 Brave Tiger and M60A3 models, both of which have been in service for more than two decades.
In addition to procuring the M1A2T tanks, the military has invested in new engines for its M60A3 tanks and upgraded their cannon fire-control systems to provide “hunter-killer” capabilities, allowing a tank to engage one target while tracking another.
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